


NIHILISM

by Ulawan5



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Abusive Lusamine, Abusive Parents, Adventure, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimension Travel, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ultra Wormholes, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-09-09 00:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8869504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulawan5/pseuds/Ulawan5
Summary: [THAR BE GAME PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD] Our young champion has just crossed over into a world parallel her own; only to find that she is not where and when she should be. Can Lillie and Moon make a better timeline before everything goes awry, or will or will fate collapse this world into chaos like it had hers before?





	1. The Doll Escapes

     “Our most recent project is the conservation of Corsola. Despite their cohabitation, Mareanie have begin to overwhelm them in numbers, causing a drop in the population of native Alolan Corsola. Now what could be causing the Mareanie to be flourishing this way? Our studies have shown that the rise in Mareanie and Toxapex populations could be due to the rising pollution levels in our seas- “ 

The girl tunes out of the tour. These bigwigs probably weren’t even paying attention either, just looking at their precious expensive architecture. She knows she’s only there to make her mother look good. Again. And this stupid hat is pulling her hair again. She focuses on the sound of her shoes on the catwalk and the cries of pokemon in the biodome, much clearer than what she can hear from her room at home.. 

“Lillie, this way.” Lusamine’s commanding voice breaks her daydream. 

    Lillie hadn’t even strayed that far, only a few feet to the left of the group. Her mother’s gaze moves quickly back to the path. The younger girl grips her skirts and puts them back into place from walking, stepping into line with the others. 

 

\----

 

The walls of the dining room tower like those of a cathedral. Lillie would know, old churches from Sinnoh had been in her school books to study. She thought it was fascinating, all the different ways that people lived their lives - trainers and even those without pokemon. Even within Aether, she could overhear employees talking about their families and whatnot back home where they had left them. Talk of how much they missed them, how happy seeing their little sister or whoever made them.

But all of that doesn’t make for a happy life, right? Lusamine has all of the most beautiful dishes and decorations and architecture and clothing. She’s always known what’s best for her little girl.

    Dinner is quiet again. Lillie picks at the bland food. She would hardly believe it was made by human hands if she didn’t know they paid a chef. And yet they were on the finest china plate Lillie knew of, so it must be the best there is. She chews a bit more quickly, trying to find flavor in the strange and unidentified substances.

    Lusamine scrolls through documents on her tablet next to her place setting between delicate bites. Her expression is emotionless as usual, with maybe a smidgen of determination in her eyes. 

    “Lillie.”

    She jumps a bit in her seat, pulling out of her musing. “Y-yes, Mother?”

    “Would you like to observe the next test in our labs as part of your education? I think we are close to a breakthrough, and you ought to be there to witness it.”

    Lillie pauses. Being invited to a test? It probably wasn’t optional anyways. “Yes, Mother,” she responds, putting on a gentle smile, “I think that would be interesting.”

    “Good girl,” she says, but Lusamine’s gaze continues without words, “ _ I didn’t ask for your opinion.” _

    Her daughter lowers her gaze out of the much icier one above her. She spends the rest of the meal silent once more.

 

\----

 

    After a battery of more routine, Lillie stares up at the ceiling from her bed. Tucked away in luxurious fabrics - her nightgown alone must be handmade - she cannot seem to sleep.

    Thoughts are still running through her head. 

_     What kind of test is this? Are they going to try and do something dangerous? What if someone gets hurt like dad? ...Will any pokemon get hurt? _

    She slips out of her covers. The balls of her feet hit the floor as gently as she can manage. 

    Lillie turns the handle of her door as slowly as possible, to not alert anyone that could be watching the dark halls. She peers out of the crack to make sure the coast is clear, and shimmies her way into the hallway. 

    Gold and black accents mark her vision of the blue-tinted white walls. She tries to avoid the stares of paintings of relatives as much as possible. Especially since she’d never heard positive things of anyone going night exploring. Not that she’d heard many tales of it in the first place.

    She plods down the stairs of the east wing into the foyer, mostly confident that nobody is listening. She’d never heard anything through the walls, and could swear by never hearing anyone outside of her mother’s room. Not even security, or the various pokemon that sometimes made their way into her home.

    The great doors at the front of the hall tower above her. Challenging her to open them without a sound. She declines them, with a deep breath, and turns toward the door to the west wing. At the very least she’d have an alibi in getting a glass of water from the kitchen. She wriggles through the mead door on one side into the new corridor. 

   Lillie makes her way to the last door between her and the outside, some disused exit to a gate. Her hand hovers over the knob,  _ are you sure you want to do this? ‘Mother would not be happy if she found out…’  _ she thinks to herself.

    She clenches the doorknob in her fist, and slowly turns it to make her exit with the least sound manageable.

 

    The outside air batters her senses, even through the proximity force field The thick scent of the ocean, the cleaners used on the pristine walkways, the resting Pelipper 20 feet away, all facing her head on with a blast of warm wind. Lillie attempts to close the door behind her, but it latches shut faster than she expected, and she winces at the sound.    


    Her heart is pounding. This is the point of no return. Lillie sidles along the wall of the mansion. ‘ _ There was...a trapdoor somewhere…’ _

    The painted handle glints in the moonlight. ‘ _ But it could be too loud? Maybe it’s best to just...walk along the edges.’ _ Her feet make the softest  _ pat pat pat  _ on the smooth pavement. She keeps her arms close to her body against the wind. 

    She looks down at the passcard in her hand, turning it over and over to make sure it’s real and still in her grasp. It was leftover from when she was little, and she prayed that it had never been deactivated. The Aether Foundation always wanted the President’s daughter to be able to find her mother when she needed her, it only made sense to give her a card with the same clearance as Lusamine. What Aether employee would deny access to a crying 5 year old?

    Lillie steps ever closer to the main Aether building across the huge courtyard in front of her home. She bites her lip in anticipation, wishing with all her might that she won’t get caught sneaking around. She’d never heard of a night guard, but was scared nonetheless. 

    When she reaches the door, a small green LED shines from the right side of the alcove. She waves the card in front of it, and hears a soft beep to assure her that the door will open, followed by a mechanical clack and the opening of the doors. The sound echoes off the quiet courtyard and causes her to wince in response.

     She hurries inside, clinging to the wall again to evade detection. She looks around, trying to remember through her fear how to operate the elevator once she finds it. The moonlight from outside peters away as the door shuts to her left. 

    The darkness makes her shudder, feeding her creeping desires for this to be over. Lillie nearly sprints to the elevator box, and is welcomed by several more colored LEDs that tell her what floor is available. She frowns. A pass of her card near the control pad and two more options slide open on the list. 

    She hesitates, reading the label again carefully, “LAB AREA” it declares in softly glowing letters. Lillie gently depresses the button next to it, waiting for the soft click of feedback. 

    Immediately the guard bars swing up, causing her to startle yet again. The floor retracts away from the elevator, and Lillie can feel her stomach drop as fast as the platform while she clings to the control box.

    It’s over as soon as it starts, and the elevator gently touches down on the lower level. Her knees are shaking from all of this fear as she tries to stand back straight. She takes a shuddering breath and steels herself for what comes next. 

Looking around gives her no results. At least there are safety lights on, but the doors look identical. Lillie walks to the door to her left, and is met with a...red LED on the card scanner. She passes her card next to the reader with only a negative beep to show for it and a blink of the light. 

‘ _ That’s weird…’  _ she mouths.

Another pass yields the same results.

Lillie walks to the next door of three, a bit less cautious this time and more confused. 

This time the door is the same.  _ ‘Why can’t I get in?’ _

__ With frustration in her step, the little girl comes to the final door. The red light challenges her. She frowns at it in return.

This time the passcard has made it submit. The light flashes green, and this time the clack of the door doesn’t catch her off guard. 

It slides open to reveal a much larger (and colder) area than she had anticipated. Solid boxes tower over her head, and the catwalks seems to extend into oblivion. Maybe it was time to pick up the anxiety again.

No sooner than she decides this, a flash of light takes over her vision from behind several crates. 

_ ‘What in  Alola w as that?" _ Lillie wonders from the floor.  


__ She hurries to the scene, all thought of her mission gone.

What lies in wait she could never have been prepared for.

 

Another girl lay unconscious on the floor.


	2. Continuity

     “Are you alright?” Lillie says in a hurried stage whisper. She gently shakes her shoulder.

     The girl stirs, scrunching her face against the weight of consciousness as she comes to.

     “How did you get here? Did someone hurt you? Are you an employee?”

     “Nnnghhhh…” the girl replies.

     “Come on, wake up!” Lillie jostles her a bit less carefully, “You can’t stay here, they’ll find you!”

      “Who’ll...find me….?” She drawls sleepily, batting Lillie’s hand away.

      “The scientists! Aether! I’m not sure but we can’t-”

      “Aether?” Her eyes shoot open as she tenses.

      “Yes! You’re at Aether Paradise! And we have to move!”

      “Lillie? Is that you?” the mysterious girl grips her hand, “You’re back already?!”

      “Wait, who _are_ you _?”_ she pulls her hand away quickly, “Where would I have been but here?”

       “Why are you wearing a nightgown? Didn’t you have this whole…” She pauses, the realization dawning on her face. She brings herself to sitting. “Oh my Arceus…”

       “What’s the matter now?! And keep your voice down!”

       She brings her voice to a whisper,“Where is Lusamine?”

       “Asleep in her bed, but not for long if we’re found here!” Lillie’s patience for this is thinning. “How do you know my mother’s name? What your name is is the real question here!”

      “Lillie...”  Her disbelief begins to set in, This isn’t right. “If you’re here, where’s Nebby?”

      “What in Alola is a Nebby? I asked you a question.” Lillie rises to a half crouch.

       “My name is...Moon. Nebby was the name of your Cosmog.”

       She is taken aback. “How do you know about Cosmog? I was just about to check on it and the tests.” This is much more than she’d ever anticipate a child her age to know about, the concern is creeping into her voice.

     “So you haven’t taken them yet?”

     “Well, of course no-”

     Moon stands much more quickly than she probably should, reaching out for Lillie’s hand, “That’s where we start. We have to rescue Nebby, they’re in trouble.”

     Lillie takes the stranger’s hand, and before she can protest she is pulled down the hall to the looming buildings beyond their crate-alcove.

     “Are you sure this is the best approach?”

     “You told me when you rescued Nebby they were being tortured, if that hasn’t happened yet then there’s still time.”

     “Oh, so now you can predict the future? And who is this ‘you’ we’re talking about?”

     “I think...I think I came from another world into this one,” Moon stands against the outside wall of the laboratory, peeking into the dark window. Nobody to be seen. “Lab two…” she mutters, “You know that Aether is conducting Ultra Wormhole experiments, right?” Moon attempts to open the door; only to be met with a lock.

     “Y-yes...But that is classified. Do you need me to open the door?”

     “You can do that?”

      Lillie holds up her card, quirking an eyebrow before passing it over the reader.

      The door clicks in response, and Moon opens it as quickly as she can.

      Lillie thanks her lucky stars that it actually worked. The foundation really had given her an unnecessary height of clearance.

      Motion sensor lights flick on, and the white room sears the nightvision out of their eyes. Books and papers are stacked neatly on desks ready for the next day. Behind a glass doored cage, lies a sleeping Cosmog slumped against one of the walls.

     “There they are…” Moon whispers in awe.

     She steps forward gently, rolling the soles of her shoes to keep quiet.

     Lillie hadn't seen it in a long while, but its posture still seemed suspicious to her.

     “Do you know how to open It?” Moon asks.

     “I don't think my key works on that…” Lillie replies.

     Moon unclips a pokeball from her belt, and releases a Toucannon. “Alright, Twain, can you heat up your beak and melt that lock?” 

     Twain nods in confirmation, and hovers at the lock, pulsing colors through his beak as it hikes in temperature. He places the tip next to the keyhole, and the plastic melts away around the lock bar.

     The cosmog cracks an eye, quickly waking up and flying into distress. The sounds it makes are like bells twinkling, mixed with what the girls could only begin to guess that space itself sounded like.

     Moon tries her hardest to shush the frantic cloud, while Twain picks at the lock. His flying strains, just barely unable to pull the door open.

     Lillie picks up calming duty as Moon tugs on the door with her Pokemon.

     The lock finally snaps, causing the metal grate to swing open faster than they expected.

     As the trio works out what has happened so quickly, a klaxon fills the air and pummels their eardrums.

     They've set off an alarm.

     Everyone's stomach drops to their toes. 

    They're going to get caught, then who knows what'll happen?

 

     Moon returns Twain to his pokeball as Lillie tries to coax Cosmog out of the cage.

     “We've gotta get outta here!” Moon yells over the siren.

     Lillie nods vigorously, having a hard time holding Cosmog and covering her ears at the same time. “I think there’s a fire escape on the outside!” she shouts back.

     Moon is swiveling around the room to see what she can find, and sprints towards the door while shoving a thick stack of papers into a duffle bag. The girl gestures quickly that Lillie come with her.

     They both scamper through the door and whip around to see where the ladder is.

     Lillie is the one to find it, on the right side of the structure, leading into who knows where. Down.

    “This’ll take us to the docks, I’m not sure if we can get out from-”  
    “We’ve got to try!” Moon declares, passing her immediately and working her way down within seconds, “come on!”   
    “B-but!” Lillie protests, pulling at her nightgown around her shoulders and around Nebby. She swings her head around, looking for security. All she can hear so far is the dread-inspiring sound of boots approaching. She backs toward the ladder top, and looks down at Moon, already a few feet down and looking up expectantly.

     She manages to get her feet down the first few rungs before the entrance to the chamber opens, and voices spill out. Moon looks around for anything that could help them, trying her best not to get stepped on or fall of the nearly unguarded fire escape. “There’s a platform down here,” she says up to Lillie.

     “There might be a door-” the ladder shudders.

     They both grip closer to it, a few yards up, the boot of an Aether employee rests against the top. Lillie’s blood runs cold. She prays that the employee doesn’t think to look down.

      And… he doesn’t.

     “M-Moon? D-do you have a ride pager?”

     “Yeah, but I can’t… You can use it inside? Can Charizard get here in time?”

     “Maybe not, but it’s worth a try…”

    Moon yanks the device from her belt, shakily navigating the screen for- Charizard!

    An error message appears. “OUT OF SERVICE,” accompanied by a dissatisfied beep.

    Moon curses under her breath. “My Toucannon knows Fly,” she relays back up.

    “What good will that do us?” Lillie replies in a shaky whisper.

    “We can fly out of here!” Moon replaces Twain’s pokeball with the ride pager.

    “On a move?!”

    “Just trust me!” She clicks the button, and releases her Toucannon into the air. “Twain, I need you to fly as hard as you can and get us out of here.”

    The bird looks around in mild alarm, trying to zero in on Moon’s expression of intensity.

    The trainer offers a hand, trying to hold onto his talons as delicately as possible. Twain grips their hand back, his wing flaps getting more intense.

    “Lillie, you have to grab onto me!”

    “But what about Cosmog?!”  

    Moon fumbles with the zipper on their second bag, “In here, I can take them!”

    Lillie ushers the gaseous pokemon into the bag, their expression getting more and more worried.

   “It’s okay, we’re just going to go a little ways, uh,” Lillie falls short on reassurances.

    Moon holds her hand out for the other girl, and hoists her close into a hug with one arm under hers. She uses her free hand to grip Twain’s other foot, and they separate from the ladder.

    “Let’s go!” she orders, and Twain responds by flapping even harder to keep them aloft. They drop several feet before Toucannon can pick up the slack and get to a proper cruising speed.

    Aether Employees on the ground are speaking hurriedly into walkie talkies, searching for something to apprehend the kids with.

    Moon’s eyes dart around to find some kind of exit, anything, light coming from anywhere. And so there is, a soft outline in the distance of a square.

    “Up there!” she yells, trying to motion Twain’s foot in the right direction.

    Lillie looks up from her tight grip around Moon, “That’s an air vent! I think we can get out that way!”

    “Okay Twain, try to blast it if you can!”

    The bird Pokemon falters, dropping a few feet and puffing out smoke from his nostrils. Trying to do two attacks at once is a little more than he can bear. He flaps faster, gaining back distance, and looks down at his trainer in apology.

    “That’s okay! You tried your best Twain, lots of pokebeans when we get out of here!” She tries to reassure him while still holding on for dear life. _I’ll make this up to you,_ she promises herself.

    “Lillie, when we get up there I need you to grab onto the side.” Moon says to the clutching girl at her side.

    She looks up, fear in her eyes, and nods. Lillie readjusts her grip.

    They approach the edge quickly, Twain seeming to start to struggle.

    Lillie reaches out from Moon, looking for a handhold. “A little up,” she says to Twain, and he responds. Her fingers clasp around a ridge in the sheer metal wall. “I-I’ve got it!” She swings her leg up into the vent, and backs in as quickly as she can.

    “Are you ready?”

    She nods, holding her hands out and trying to balance herself. Lillie braces a foot against the ridge.

    They clasp hands, one first, then a foot in, a bit of shimmying, and both of the girls are snug into the vent.

    Twain looks in with worry in his eyes.

    “Come back boy, I’ve got you,” Moon tells him, holding out his pokeball.

    He gratefully taps the button with his beak, teleporting back into the safety of his capsule.

    “Now how do we get out? They’ve got to be guarding everything by now,” Moon asks.

    “I think if we keep going that way,” she points for effect, ”we can make it to an outside vent and fly away.”

    “Sounds like a plan.”

   Lillie nods, and begins to crawl her way through the ducts, Moon close behind. The klaxon alarm begins to fade, but not before echoing on the metal walls to fill their minds with dread.

 

    Soon, a light comes into view, separated into slats by a grate.

    “Only figures…” Moon observes with disapproval, “They had to have a grate somewhere.”

    “I think we could kick it open, and then be out free.”

    “Care to give it a shot?”

    “I’m not… sure I’m strong enough.”

   “Oh, okay, uh scooch over for a second I think I can do it.”

    With a bit of work, Moon positions herself to kick the metal bars into the sea. And so she does, with one swift motion she’s disconnected the flimsy screws, and punted the thing towards its watery grave.

    She sticks her head out of the new opening, breathing in the ocean air. It’s...a long way down from there. Moon works her way quickly back into the vent. She fiddles with her belt to try the ride pager again.

    “Still nothing.” she says, “No signal.” The pager replaces the pokeball again. “I’m so sorry Twain, I think we have to get you to fly again.” Moon releases the Toucannon once more into the space just inside their cozy metal hall.

    “Lillie, can you take the bag? I’m going to put my stuff in it so it doesn’t, uh, fall into the ocean.”

    The other girl nods, accepting the bag and opening it, only to be met with an ornery gasball.

    “Pew!!!” Cosmog protests.

    “Aaah! I’m sorry, but you have to stay in, I know it’s tight but you might fall out and get hurt!”

    “Pew...” comes the response.

    “Can you watch these pokemon for me, Nebby?” Moon asks.

    “Pew!” the Cosmog replies, determined.

    The trainer smiles, gently placing the rest of her pokeballs into the bag, and shortly after her purse and pager. “Sorry about the clutter, are you sure you can hang onto it, Lillie?” 

    She gives an affirmative, and Moon begins to instruct Twain on what’s going to happen.

  
    Soon, they are back in the skies, speeding away from Aether Paradise to the closest land mass they can see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooh !! Sorry this took so long. I really look forward to the meaty next chapter, see you in the next one, and thanks for reading!


	3. What Now?

    They touch down on the closest landmass just northeast, all three of them trying to catch their breath under a safety light on a small coast.

    Moon slumps against a rock, apologizing to Twain, giving him a quick brush down, and returning him to his pokeball.

    “Why would -huff- you ever teach a Pokemon to fly like that?” Lillie asks, her expression pained from exertion of holding so tightly onto Moon. She slowly opens the bag, shushing Nebby and removing Moon’s belongings to pile them between them.

    Moon tilts her head back, taking a deep breath, “Where I come from, everyone uses Fly like that. In and out of battle. But only after you’ve earned the badge allowing you to.”

    “That’s a weird place you come from, then.”

    “How come they didn’t teach you that in school about other regions?”  
    “They didn’t teach you about the island challenge, did they?”

    The other girl looks over out of the corner of her eye, “Okay, you’ve got me.”

    Lillie sighs, laying back onto the ground. “Where are you from?” she asks, tired, but still wanting answers.

    “Kanto, I think it’s west of here.”

    “That place where they made Mewtwo?”

    “They made it there?”

    “How can you not- anyways, do you know where we are, Miss Kanto?”

    Moon exhales, propping herself on her knees to look over the rock. She pauses, scanning the area, and sits back down. “It looks like Memorial Hill, I think we landed on Akala.”

    “Huh, I’ve never been to this part of Akala Island.”

    “Well,you’re not a trainer right? It makes sense.”

    Lillie pauses. “How...Do you know I’m not a trainer?”

    Moon freezes, then rolls her eyes, trying to play it off. “You don’t have any pokemon with you, of course.”  
    Lillie purses her lips, side eyeing the other girl. “I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.”

    “Wh-what? Why would I be lying to you?” Moon fidgets, not doing a very good job of acting like she’s _not_ lying.

    “How did you know my name? How did you get into Aether, and how did you know we were testing on the ultra beasts?!” She’s tensed up, backing away from Moon.

    The trainer bites her lip, her stomach haven fallen well through the ground by now. “I..I um…” She fiddles with a pokeball, rolling it nervously between her fingers.

    Lillie relaxes, picking up on how distressed Moon became, but still wary, “Are you okay? ...Do you remember?”

    “I um, I do but I’m not sure you’ll believe me.” She pulls her knees closer.

    “I just escaped my home in a chase and stole a pokemon with you, I think I’ll believe you.”

    Moon holds her breath for a moment, “I think...I”m not supposed to be here.”

    “Is that it? My brother used to say that all the time.”

    “No, um, not like him, more of… I think I traveled back in time. I was thinking about it while we were flying. I came from the future, but I may have… ruined everything by helping you.”

    Lillie grips the edge of her nightgown, the silence broken only by the wild pokemon over the rock ledge. “...I don’t think you’ve ruined it. I wouldn’t have had the courage to do any of that if you hadn’t told me what we needed to do. I would probably be getting yelled at by my mother for sneaking off.”

    “But am I… Am I going to die if this is the same timeline? What about causation-”

    “Moon, I think if it’s as different as you say it’s going, you would have changed already. And you haven’t had a problem existing so far. I think you’re going to be alright.”

    Moon stares at the premier ball in her hands a little more intensely. She pauses, bringing it up to her face, looking increasingly distressed.

    “M-Moon?” Lillie stammers, leaning towards her.

    The trainer presses the button on the front of the device, popping the top open to reveal...nothing. The components are clear of anything.

    “Leeloo is gone,” she says in disbelief. “I didn’t notice…”

    “Who is Leeloo?”  
    “My Lunala.”

    There is a cold silence.

    “You mean _the_ Lunala?”

    “Yeah. She’s gone.”

    “How in Alola did you catch a Lunala?!”

    “I did in my timeline, it was… Did she fly away?”

    “Don’t pokeballs tell you if they’re really empty? If Leeloo still belongs to it, it’ll tell you I thought.”

    “I...I think so. Maybe a Pokemon center could tell us. It’s never happened to me before…”

    “If you caught her, I’m sure she’ll come back. Legendaries aren’t like regular pokemon, right?”

    “I hope so…” Moon looks at the ball a few seconds more, then shuts its lid, and minimizes it before stowing it in her bag. She comes to standing, righting her bag on her shoulder. “Let’s go to Konikoni city, then. It’s just past here.”

    Lillie rises as well, patting the bag and whispering apologies to its resident. “I feel so bad about keeping Nebby in here…”

    “They’ll be fine, I promise Cosmog is more sturdy than we thought…” her thoughts drift before snapping back to reality. “Do you need a repel? Non-trainers can’t battle, and I don’t know if I’m allowed to just...fight for you.”

    Lillie looks at her bare feet, wiping dust off her nightgown. “Maybe we should just both use one, Twain looked pretty tired…”

    “I’ve got other… Yeah, that’s a good idea.” She fishes two small cans of Max Repel out of her bag, handing one to the other girl. “But just in case, I do have two more pokemon. I’m pretty sure,” she smirks at her own joke.

    The girls spray themselves down with repellent, and set out west for the nearest town.

 

\------

 

    Moon picks her pokeballs out of the tray on the counter of the Pokemon Center. Only four. Why did she think it was a good idea to go adventuring with only four pokemon?

    “We hope to see you again!”

    She bows in response, rushing back over to Lillie, who seems to be covering her lap with the duffel bag filled with a suspiciously quiet Nebby.

    The smaller girl looks up from her folded hands. “Are they all doing okay?”

    “Yeah, The PC doesn’t seem to recognize my trainer ID, but she healed my pokemon anyways and told me to get my ID checked out. I think it’s like the ride pager not working.”

    “Did you ask the nurse about the pokeball?”

    “She said it’s still activated, but is somehow bypassing the regular battle clauses. Leeloo is out there, I think she’s trying to tell us something... Um, but how are you doing? It must have been a really long night for you.”

    “Not flying for a change is pretty nice, and I haven’t been into a pokemon center before.” She prods at one of the flowers in the pool of water beside her.

    “You haven’t? Oh, I guess that makes sense… A-anyways, are you ready to go? I think I saw a clothing store next door. It’s still night, but I think we should get you out of those pajamas, yeah?”

    Lillie nods, gently lifting the bag onto her shoulder and standing, inspecting her nightgown. “It is a bit cold in this…I must look like I’m sick or something coming out without shoes.”

    Moon holds the “Um, I can pick up the cost, too. I know you probably didn’t come out of Aether with much, but I’ve got all of my usual stuff still.” She adjusts her own bag, causing the challenge amulet to jingle.

    The other girl’s stare lingers at the thing. She’d never really met someone who was still on their island challenge. She’d never really given it much thought. “Um, yes, yeah, thank you…” she gives a dry laugh, looking back up at her companion to smile.

    The trainer nods, returning the smile, and holds the door open for Lillie.

\------

    “Alright, so we’ve got…” the cashier examines the clothes on the counter, scanning the barcodes into the register computer. “That’ll be 17,000 pokédollars, will that be all today?”

    Moon rifles through her wallet for the correct bills, “Yep, I think that’s everything!”

    “Do you want these hangers?,” the cashier says opening the cash register. “Here’s your change and receipt,”

    She accepts them, “No, I think she wants to wear them out. Thanks!”

    “Have a nice day!”

    The girls walk toward the changing room, and Moon hands her the new clothes.

    Lillie pauses with her hand on the curtain before pulling it closed, staring down at the stack in her arms, and back up at the girl who purchased them. “I um… Thanks for helping me out.”

    “Yeah! Yeah no problem, Lillie, you shouldn’t have to run around in something like...that.” she gestures to the now sortof grody nightgown.  “Uh, take your time, though, it’s alright.”

    She nods in response, shutting the curtain and fixing the edges to make sure it’s secure.

    Moon leans against a rack to the changing room’s side, looking intently at her bag to distract herself. It was never much fun to hang around in a store after you’ve bought something.

    A few minutes pass, and she hears the zipper of Lillie’s duffel bag. She stands back at attention with excitement in her perked shoulders. She...couldn’t have been prepared for what was behind curtain number one.

    Lillie pokes her head out from the tiny room, checking on one last thing before gingerly emerging.

    Dressed from head to toe in white, a ruffled blouse, pleated skirt, even white shoes and socks. She tugs at the hem of the skirt to right the angle, and looks up sheepishly at Moon.

“Does this look alright?”

    Moon, to say the least, is absolutely starstruck. She puts a hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from letting loose a trillion compliments at once, settles for an enthusiastic nod.

    “Um, should we find a hotel then? Is that the next step?” She’s still fiddling with her clothes nervously.

    The other girl stops short. Oh yeah. She stays in hotels. Moon lingers a little too long over Lillie’s new outfit, looking away so she can think more on it. “I um… That’s right, I guess you’re not used to camping, huh?”

    Lillie shakes her head gently, pursing her lips.

    ‘ _Not one for dirt...right… But spending the night in a hotel? Would they let a 12-year-old check in?’_ Moon thinks to herself, “Well, there are at least two hotels in Heahea city? And I think it’s near…an old friend of mine.”

    “I think I’ve visited there before, on a business trip with mother,” she squeezes the strap on her duffel bag gently, “It’s very pretty if I remember correctly.”

    “Then uh, off we go I suppose!” Moon makes a move toward the exit.

    But Lillie stays, shifting her feet. “Um, could we...perhaps not fly again? If it’s not too much trouble…”

    Moon stops, lightly thumbing Twain’s ball. She thinks it over for a second, shrinking it and reattaching it to her belt. She smiles nervously, “Ah...yeah. Sorry about all that. I think there’s a ferry that runs to Heahea from here, we might be able to take that. I don’t think we should be going through Diglett’s Tunnel.”

    The other girl smiles, daintily stepping off of the changing room platform to follow her. She gently pats the bag at her side as they walk towards the port.

    ‘ _Yeah, sticking to the laws might help us, and Lillie’s nerves…’_ Moon thinks, trying not to stare too much at her friend. Maybe this whole mess could be a good thing for her.


	4. Disembark

    The port and ferry ride are absolutely drenched in light. There are a few people sleepily consulting maps, petting their pokemon and snacking on malasadas.The sound of waves and wind almost lulls both girls at last to sleep. Everything you’d expect from a rather touristy boat in at approximately 3 AM.

Tickets weren’t hard to get this late into the night, surprisingly. There were fewer people than the ferry that Moon had taken on her first trip to Akala. She supposed that was just because it ran from Konikoni city and not past Melemele.

To her right, Lillie sits on the bench near the deck railing. She rests her head on one hand over her knee, exhausted and showing it for really the first time since they’d met. Her hand gently strokes the main pocket containing their gaseous friend, concentration fading from looking out at the Alola skyline.

    Moon takes a deep breath. She slumps in her own seat next to Lillie with a sigh.

    “So you said you’ve been to Heahea before?”

    A soft “Mhmm,” comes out of the other girl, her eyes finally closing fully. “There was some science thing happening at the Tide Song, and Mother brought Gladion and I along. For education, or something. I hardly remember it.”

    Moon laughs nervously, “You um, also went there in my time, you know.”

    The other girl pauses, processing and realizing what that means, “That’s a strange thing to say.”

    “Yeah...Sorry, it just seemed funny to me that we’re going back. It’s this weird sense of deja vu, where I know for a fact that it happened-”

    The ferry’s intercom crackles to life with a synthesized voice, “Now arriving, Heahea ferry port on Akala Island.”

    Lillie hangs her head before hauling herself to her feet, off balance and groggy. She squeezes her eyes shut, and wipes them with one hand while hoisting the bag over her shoulder with the other. “Thank goodness,” she manages to yawn.

    Moon rises as well, leading the way off the boat and into the terminal, checking behind her frequently for her little princess to make sure she’s still there.

    ...Did she really just think that? She tries to act natural as they walk into town - princess escorting metaphors aside.

    It felt nice to feel stone against their shoes again. The gripping deck material had always bothered Moon, back home there weren’t many boats.

    “Now the Tide Song is supposed to be…” Moon skips on the side of her shoe, reading a sign as she passes while still trying to keep moving. “Uh, at the end of this street I think…”

    Lillie makes a noise in drowsy affirmation, sighing as she tries to pick up her energy on willpower alone and puts a hop into her step towards the idea of a real bed.

    Wishiwashi and Bruxish line the walls around the door, softly lit like the rest of the area. The soft pattering sound of the fountain competes with the sound of crashing waves below the nearby cliff, and the whispering of sea breeze chilling the area. The lamps around make it feel as if the whole thing isn’t even outside, really. The perfect bricks in the square make the area feel even more indoors. In the end, it’s much like the residential deck of Aether Paradise just a few hours prior.

    Lillie tries to hold in a shiver as she pulls her sleeves lower onto her arms. The wind is simply too cold. Yes, that’s all it is, she thinks.

   

    The girls make their way across the rather large lobby to the similarly huge oaken front desk. It’s comforting to finally be in an upscale building again after the crowded busy shops and pokemon center.

    Lillie’s old habits surface in her mind, looking her partner’s dirty clothes up and down against the rich blue carpet and white tiles. How were they going to take her seriously dressed like this? Would money speak loudly enough here? Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea…

    “Good morning, how may I help you?”

    Moon is dwarfed by the receptionist’s counter, her head barely coming over the top of the desktop. “I’d like to request a room, please.”

    The attendant’s tone is hiding laughter, “Oh? Are you coming to see your parents?”

    “No, we want to sleep here.”

    She manages to stifle all but a small snort, smiling too much for her to be serious. “Are you new trainers? You can stay at a Pokemon Center for free, you know.”

    “We know. We want to stay here. We can pay for it just fine.”

    The woman’s expression quiets from jest to mild surprise, trying to gain professional composure again. She clears her throat, “How many beds will that be then?”

    “Two, the biggest ones you have.”

    “Alright, we have a room on the 12th floor that will fit your bill. May I see your ID?”

    The young trainer fishes out her bright purple wallet, sliding her trainer card to the attendant, and slapping several very large bills on the counter. “Will that cover two nights?”

    She stops typing to prod at the money with a finger and count quietly, slightly in awe of how fast this child produced well over 40 thousand pokedollars in such short order. “Y-yes I do think it will.”

    “Alright, then is that all you need from us?”

    “I believe so, uh, let me get…” she rustles around behind the desk in a drawer, and presents a sleeve of cards, “Your keys, I think that is everything.”

    Moon takes them and half bows, “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

    Before the attendant can squeak out her noise of affirmation, Moon is already trudging to the west side of the lobby, making a bee-line for the elevators.

    Lillie tries her best to keep up, holding on tightly to her bag straps and walking stiffly in her brand new shoes.

    The trainer is muttering to herself the duration of waiting for and on the empty elevator to take them 12 stories into the air. However, once the doors open, her eyes light up, ending her stream of complaints instantaneously.

    The walls are covered in a delicately illustrated wallpaper, depicting thin raised lines of waves on the surf extending gracefully down the long, curving hallway. She steps off of the platform and runs her hand lightly across it. “I never...got to see the inside of this place…”

    Lillie looks on at the other girl’s sheer wonder. Maybe this was a pretty good idea after all. Moon was certainly happy.

    She picks up the pace and read the room numbers quickly, trying to match them to the cards in her hands. “1227,” they declared at a determined Moon.

    “Aha!” Immediately shoving the card key into the lock further boosts the girl’s enthusiasm, barely waiting for Lillie to catch up before taking the first dive onto the pristine white duvet. Her hands fumble on her belt, pulling off three pokeballs and holding their buttons down to release them all into the room.

    Three pokemon release into the room just above the ground. A Primarina takes in her surroundings, white eyelashes batting against the cool filtered hotel air and waving her tail across the floor. Twain flutters out of the air and perches on the desk chair with a sigh and a flexing of feathers. Finally, a Salazzle lands on all-fours and examines the carpeting beneath her toes.

    Moon’s speech is muffled by pillows, “Hey Lilith, please watch it and don’t set the carpets on fire.”

    The Salazzle perks up at her master’s words, her tongue flicking out to taste the air and think. She scuttles past a surprised Lillie and into the tile bathroom.

    “S-so a Primarina? All of your pokemon are evolved?”

    At mention of her species, the Soloist Pokemon looks inquisitively at Lillie, cocking her head.

    “Yeah, Portia was my starter,” Moon reaches out from her prone position, and the pokemon meets her hand with her nose. “She’s still my little girl, though.” Moon rolls to one side to hold Portia’s head in her hands. “Uh huh? You big baby? You were all cooped up in there, huh. Used to being in the action?”

    The Primarina makes a chittering noise, probably in complaint or with happiness at being scratched again.

    “Are you sure they let pokemon into this hotel?”

    “Aww I’m just letting them take a breather, you know? They’re good ‘mons. They know how to behave.” She pauses, “Plus, I’ve battled in their lobby.”

    The sound of a duffel bag hitting the floor resonates through the room, startling all parties in earshot. It continues to rustle and make noise until Lillie releases its resident.

    “PEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The cosmog cries, followed by a string of many more, doubtless in regards to having been stuffed in a bag. The gaseous little creature swirls around in a circle around the bag, probably cursing the thing out, and then turning to face the girls. Its cheeks (?) puff out in dismay, continuing their tantrum by bumping into Lillie’s leg repeatedly and putting off more noises and tiny clouds.

    Lillie’s solution, however, is to simply scoop up the little one with only a bit of a fuss and cradle them in her lap. With the first few strokes, their eyes have softened, breath let out as they look up at the girl in white.

    “I’m sorry we left you in there for so long…We never forgot about you, I promise.”

    A deflated “Pew…” comes out of Nebby, whose eyes are already beginning to droop.

    “We just wanted you safe, yeah? Safe in the bag where they couldn’t get you…”

    Moon, Portia and Twain were all bearing wide-eyed witness to the scene. Lilith had even poked her head out of the bathroom at the commotion.

    “When did...you get so good at calming pokemon?”

    Lillie holds a finger to her mouth with a meaningful look at Moon, quickly returning her arm around the soft cloud pokemon.

    The cloud is quickly drifting off, so suddenly pulled from its tantrum. Lillie tucks them into her pillows and blankets ever so softly. She gestures over to moon without a sound, beckoning her over.

    “Hey, could I get a soda? I think we should leave Nebby to sleep for a while,” Lillie whispers.

    Moon nods, picking her wallet from the other side of Portia, and advising her friends to let their new addition sleep. She steps over the Primarina’s tail to follow lillie towards the door.

    Making as little sound as possible, they exit the room.

    Lillie exhales deeply for a second,

    “Okay, what happened there?” Moon immediately asks, “I’ve never seen anyone do that to a pokemon, much less one like that. I mean, people can’t touch Ghastly…”

    Lillie, making her way down the hall -before the sentence is even over- to find the soda machines stops at the end of it before turning around. “It’s not on this side, and I thought they just needed some comfort after all of that.” She starts walking the other direction before Moon even arrives, passing her with only a glance.

    Moon hesitates, watching Lillie’s back, her eyebrows scrunching in worry.

    Lillie ducks behind a corner, peeking out to wait for Moon to arrive with money to operate the rumbling noise next to her.

 

    Money inserted, cans removed, and the two girls seat themselves on a couch near the window.

    Moon had already opened her can of soda pop before they had found somewhere to rest.

    Lillie’s can glistens. She’d picked a milk drink. She thumbs the pop tab on the top, still pressurized but already sweating in the cool night air.

    She reads the can for a while, finally breaking the silence, “...You know, mother never let us have sodas. She always said sugar was bad for me.” Lillie looks at Moon, a sorrowful half smile on her face, “My brother used to sneak down to the staff lounge and buy sweets for us to share.”

    With a bit of effort, she pops the ring on her can, but hesitates to drink it. She pauses for a while longer, “...I really miss him.”

    Moon looks at her friend intently, and bites back the urge to tell her what her brother had been up to. “He um… I’m sure Gladion is doing okay.”

    The other girl looks up, “You-... Oh, right… Um, did you know him?... In the future?”

    She smiles, “Yeah, he’s...doing pretty well for himself from what I remember.” _Being a little punk..._ But she keeps that part to herself.

    Lillie’s lips purse, and she squints. “I...I miss him - a lot.” She tries her best to stifle her breath catching in her throat.  “I wonder if-” her voice contorts on the verge of tears, swallowing them down for just a bit longer, “-I wonder if Gladion decided to leave the same day he did. I never thought...I’d leave Aether when I got out of bed last night…” Lillie chokes on her words, a tear finally coming down her cheek. “I’m so far… I never… Did gladion cry too when he left?”

    Moon sets her soda down, scooting a little closer to Lillie. “I’m sure he did.” She offers a hand. “But he had people to help him too, yeah?”

    The other girl looks at the offer, slowly removing one hand from around her drink to place it in hers.

    Moon gently squeezes her hand, and Lillie squeezes back, letting the tears flow but not moving or making a sound.

 

    After a while, Moon speaks, “Hey, it’s really late. Do you want to get some sleep so we can have some daylight tomorrow? I can put all my pokemon away...Do you think that’d help?”

    Lillie nods softly, sipping on her drink.

    The trainer stands slowly, letting Lillie take her time, but still holding onto her hand.

    “Do you want to put your nightgown back on?”

    She shakes her head, finishing off her drink as they walk

    “Do you want to borrow some of my pajamas? I think they’d fit you.”

    Lillie nods while looking for her room key in her skirt pocket. She sticks it in the lock, and thumbs the rim of her can waiting for the light to turn green and unlock. Lillie tosses it in the trash on her way in the door, Moon hesitantly doing the same.

    She looks to lillie before pulling her hand away, smiling nervously. She gently whispers to her pokemon, asking them to get back into their balls while still not wanting to wake Nebby - who miraculously remains asleep.

    Twain, Lilith, and Portia all cooperate, if a bit sleepily.

    With the room that much more empty, Moon digs in her bag for the most clean pajamas she has, and hands them to Lillie. She briefly looks them over, before heading to the bathroom to change.

    Moon changes into her other set - scented with campfire smoke from the other world- and starts preparing for bed. She tries her best not to feel let down at how their little venture had gone. Moon barely registers Lillie reentering the room and shuffling pillows.

    Nebby lets out a soft sound before being shushed by Lillie, scooting them to one side of her bed. She pulls back the thick white covers and crawls into her bed.

    From where Moon is standing, she looks absolutely dwarfed in the thing, almost consumed by the single plush pillow under her head. Yet, she doesn’t close her eyes.

    Moon manages to mind her business enough to turn off the lights and get into her own bed. But after a while of staring at the ceiling, she hears Lillie’s quiet voice.

    “Hey...Can I sleep with you?”

    The trainer is taken aback, turning to face the other girl.

    “I’ve um… Never slept in a hotel without my mom. Is it okay?”

    Moon hesitates, out of shock more than anything else, “Uhh, sure? ...Yeah of course.” She thanks her lucky stars that her light blush can’t be seen in the darkness.

    She mutters a soft thanks, before crawling out from under her own covers and taking a few pillows along. Lillie tries not to think of the last time she’d made an exit like that, and instead focuses on the much different result.

    The trainer welcomes her with lifted blankets, the smell of campfires on her new friend comforting Lillie in just how much has changed. The clean sheets feel like clouds against them, softly supporting their tired bodies. Lillie snuggles down against Moon, and quickly drifts into sleep with her, both smiling at the new life that tomorrow would start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh ! It's finally here! This chapter was one of the main reasons I wanted to start this fic, and I was so excited to finally write it. I hope that it can only grow from here!  
> I hope you've enjoyed so far, see you in the next chapter!


	5. The Dawn of a New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the irregular updates, I usually add to fics when I’m procrastinating on writing essays, (currently putting off sleep, hahaha). And this was the chapter where a lot of my pre-planned stuff ran out! But I will be continuing. I really want to finish this fic and appreciate everyone who reads and comments, you guys keep me dedicated and make my day every day!! Enjoy!

The girls exit the Heahea clothing shop into a cool, crisp morning. With bags in hand, they stride back towards the Tide Song Hotel.

Moon takes a deep breath of salt tinged air,  _ I always did love this town,  _ she thinks to herself. The trainer looks at her friend, dressed in another new set of clothes. They figured that two sets would do for the first week. Hopefully. This’d be a lot of laundry.

Lillie yawns, probably having mistaken Moon’s sigh for one, or just because of how busy her last 24 hours had been. She walks silently for a little while longer before asking, “So where do you think Leeloo is?”

The other girl’s step slows just a hair while she considers. Her eyes dart from side to side as if she’ll find a sign telling her the answers. “Maybe we should check the last place I saw her?”

“But you haven’t seen her recently.”

“No, I mean we could check the Altar of the Moone.” Moon looks around for people in earshot. Finding none, she continues, “Where she took me through the time portal or whatever.”

“You came through a time portal?”

“Shh! I think it was like that, I’m not sure. My memory is a little… fuzzy.”

“With how you were knocked out, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Moon rolls her eyes. “Still, it can’t hurt to check, you know?”

“Yeah, but I guess we’ll just go with the girl from the future’s idea,” she pauses, “...So how are we going to get there?”

 

\---

 

Things deposited in their hotel, and plans made, it’s just a pleasant walk back to the docks for - what they hope- is only a day trip to Poni Island. A quick ferry, maybe weaving around some tourists and other trainers, and a sure shot at getting some answers.

The one thing the girls did not plan for, was the jumpsuited couple heading their way at just as leisurely a pace as theirs.

Lillie freezes, eyes wide in horror, stopping in her tracks.

Moon had entirely forgotten that they had been sleeping near the enemy all along, that there was an Aether base just on the west side of town. And any and all grunts had the chance of being told about the missing boss’s daughter. 

These two didn’t seem to be on any hunt, though, just having a conversation. One could assume they were even exiting the ferry terminal like regular folks from a journey.

The trainer immediately as she can pulls her hat off and almost flings it at Lillie. “Put this on, we gotta hide!”

“I- They-”

She grabs another hat from her bag, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while she maintains a death grip on Lillie’s hand. Hopefully the hair and clothes would be enough to throw them off any scent they might have caught.

The duo walks tensely down the street, attempting to resume their stroll.

Lillie fiddles with the edge of the hat, pulling it down over her bangs and trying to look away from the grunts as they pass by. Without a care in the world, as if they could never spell doom for any living thing’s freedom. 

__ _ “... I just don’t think that Passimians should be televised like that, you know? They’re just trying to have their disputes like they were taught by their leaders, not followed by some...” _

Their conversation fades into and back out of earshot. Weird, irrelevant, Moon had never even heard of Passimian fights being televised. She doesn’t think she’s ever even seen a wild Passimian.

Once danger passes by without major altercation, the girls quickly and quietly make a break for the ferry terminal. Moon resists the urge to throw her island challenge amulet at the attendant to board the thing faster. 

 

But after a time, bored on the boat, Moon finds herself fiddling with her festival plaza application (still, no signal, no people, still incredibly concerning to the girl). The screen suddenly comes alight with the words “CHALLENGER APPROACHING” filling the screen.

A younger boy than even our heroes rounds a corner, probably no older than 6, looking up from his own device. Immediately, he points to Lillie with the conviction only a child is really capable of, “Hey you! I wanna fight you!” he declares.

Lillie looks to Moon, and Moon back to Lillie in a panic.

“Uh… He must think you’re me,” Moon turns to the kid, “Hey, she’s not a trainer, did you want to battle me?”

“Whatever! My name’s Mikey! I wanna fight you!”

Moon rises from her bench, stooping a little bit to shake the boy’s hand, “Good to meet ya, Mikey!”

“Hmph! I’m gonna win!” he shoots back as he makes space for the battle.

She laughs, detaching a pokeball from her belt and readying it, “You ready?”

Mikey fishes a scuffed pokeball from his pocket and opens it with both hands with a standard shout, releasing a chubby Pidgey onto the deck of the ferry. It squeaks indignantly at its human opponent, presumably to hurry things along.

Moon flourishes, throwing her own into the air to release Lilith, who puffs a good amount of fire into the air after touching down. She licks her beak and stares down the distracted little bird pokemon.

Youth goes first, traditionally. Moon waits for a beat, but the boy had already begun to give the command.

“Pidgey, use tackle!” Mikey yells with his finger pointed accusingly at Lilith. The pidgey bristles, as if remembering what it was supposed to be doing.  It runs to take flight, brandishing a Quick Claw on one foot, and clumsily attempts to bash itself against the lizard several times its size. 

The Salazzle, however, remains unscathed, and only gives an annoyed smokey snort.

Moon takes her turn for command, “Lillith, use Flamethrower!”

The pokemon rears back, her stripes glowing for a moment, and spits a thin stream of fire at her opponent, lashing her tail to keep balanced upright.

It only touches the Pidgey’s feet, but the poor creature panics more than is probably warranted, hiding behind Mikey’s unevenly rolled socks and chirping up a storm.

He pops the bird on the top of its head with the pokeball button, returning it before it can tire itself out even more. “Okay! Fine! You win!” His grip tightens on the ball as he hands over some crumpled bills and a few coins from his pocket. His lip quivers while they shake hands again, and Mikey sulks back across the ship, hopefully to his parents.

“Is that.... Really how people battle each other?”

Moon turns at the question from uncreasing her winnings. “Huh?”

Lillie continues. “You just… come up to each other and say you want to fight?”

The trainer takes her seat back next to her companion, the Salazzle scurrying to wait at her side. “Well… some people put a lot of thought into their openers, but to each their own, y’know?” 

She really didn’t, but who could blame her? Having grown up in a community completely dedicated to keeping pokemon safe, battles weren’t ever a concern. It wasn’t like non-trainers were taught policy for something that they were never going to to, just to shake their heads and gently decline.

“Uh, and trainers operate on a rule that if you make eye contact while in a certain kind of area, you have to battle. Otherwise it’s voluntary… but polite to accept a challenge.” Moon worries to herself that she’s overexplaining things.

“Your pokemon… she looks pretty strong.” Lillie kicks her feet off the bench just a bit idly.

“Oh man, you think? Lilith’s just a goober with a fire hazard.” she laughs, scratching Lilith’s head affectionately.

“No I mean… I’ve never even heard of a battle ending that quickly.”

“Oh, it happens… I was actually a… pretty high ranking trainer before you met me, you know?”

Lillie’s memory blinks back to the completed amulet on her bag, “You completed your Island Challenge, right? Did they ever ask you to be a trial captain?”

“N… well no…”

“So you  _ aren’t _ any good?”

“I was- uh- I am! There’s just… secrets!”

“Oh, like your entire existence right now isn’t a secret,” she rolls her eyes.

“I don’t know if I can tell you! Kukui made it seem like it was… secret….”

“Who’s that?”

For some reason she can’t place, this makes Moon’s stomach drop three floors into the ocean below. She never met Kukui. Lillie didn’t know what was happening at large. Lillie isn’t on the mission that she’d met Moon on. Things really were going to be different.

“He’s a… Professor Kukui is my sponsor, I guess...A-anyways all you need to know is I am a very powerful trainer and I can get us anywhere in Alola!”

“With a broken ride pager and only one illegal field move?”

“Hey I can do anything! The world is our Clamperl!”

Lillie can only roll her eyes again.

Now Moon just has to figure out how to get everywhere in Alola with an escort.


End file.
